


Love Shack

by princesadaisy



Category: Coco (2017), Gravity Falls
Genre: Crossover, F/F, Fluff, Getting Together, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, LGBTQ Character, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2021-02-18 11:54:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21677131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princesadaisy/pseuds/princesadaisy
Summary: There’s a new face around the Mystery Shack this summer.
Relationships: Candy Chiu/Grenda/Mabel Pines, Dipper Pines/Miguel Rivera, Lee/Nate (Gravity Falls), Minor or Background Relationship(s), Wendy Corduroy/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 24





	Love Shack

**Author's Note:**

> if you have clicked on this fic i know you’re thinking that i have lost my god-given mind, and i won’t even deny it.. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> i rewatched coco and gf in quick succession a few months ago, so that's probly what sparked this.
> 
> [song](https://open.spotify.com/track/4W4wYHtsrgDiivRASVOINL) that i named the fic after, for some odd reason.

Dipper expects this summer to be just like the two preceding it. Going to Gravity Falls, staying in the attic of the Mystery Shack with Mabel, exploring the never-ending weirdness of the town, nerding it up with Great Uncle Ford whenever he and Grunkle Stan briefly return from their adventures, and yes, still quietly obsessing over Wendy. 

It’s the same old same old, what he’s used to, and Dipper is quite content with it. That’s why he’s so bothered when Mabel tells him what she does. 

“I wanna spend most of this summer with Candy and Grenda, Dip!”

Dipper looks at Mabel over the letter that he’s reading. It’s from Grunkle Ford. (The Grunkles were currently stuck in Thailand dealing with a typhoon. They wouldn’t be back until the end of June. Bummer.)

“That’s always the plan, isn’t it?” Because Mabel always spends an insane amount of time with her friends whenever they visit. 

“No.” Mabel fiddles with the flower sewn onto her sweater. “I mean, like spend  _ spend _ time with them. You remember when I told you that we were gonna try some different things with our relationship this year?”

Dipper blinks. He vaguely remembers Mabel telling him something along those lines. But then again, Mabel has been saying some pretty odd things since school let out a few days ago. 

“Not gonna be any more summer flings,” Mabel says as she pats Waddles’ head. “It’s just gonna be me, my girls, and my pig this summer!” Waddles rests his head in Mabel’s lap and oinks in what seems to be agreement. 

Dipper rolls his eyes.“Sure, Mabel.” Dipper really doubts that she’ll be able to go through with it, but who was he to burst his sister’s bubble? He goes back to the letter. A beat of silence passes before Mabel speaks again.

“You know she’s got a girlfriend now, right?” 

Though they don’t have ESP or twin telepathy, Mabel has always had a knack for knowing what Dipper was thinking. And right now, it was about Wendy. 

“What are you talking about?” Dipper shrieks. “I-I know that!”

When the twins came back to Gravity Falls last summer, they found out that Lee and Nate had started going out. They sparked Wendy to realize that maybe she didn’t just like boys. That’s when she met her current girlfriend, Aisha.

Mabel gives him a look and opens her mouth to speak, but gets cut off when Soos walks into the room. Thank God. Literally!

“Sup, Dudes!” Soos flips up the eyepatch covering his right eye. “I’m about to start the next tour, but Abuelita wanted to know what you dudes want for dinner.”

That was another thing that took some getting used to. Living with Soos and Abuelita. 

Dipper remembers when they had to live with them for that brief stint when Gideon stole the deed to the shack. It was... An experience to say the least. But honestly, it’s not so bad. Abuelita is kind and thoughtful—not to mention her soft old lady skin—and Soos is still the awesome guy he’s always been.

Dipper and Mabel walk with Soos from the living room of the shack to the gift shop, chatting about any and everything. It’s nice. Normal. And hopefully enough to make Mabel forget about what she was going to say.

“Melody’s on break,” Soos says once they’ve made it to the shop. He gestures towards the empty space behind the counter. “And Wendy won’t be here for another thirty minutes, so I need one of you dudes to take care of the register for a bit.”

Dipper blanches. His finger goes to his always-red nose in record time. “Dibs not it!”

“Who’s  _ that?” _ Mabel asks, obviously ignoring him and Soos. She’s pointing at a boy behind Soos who’s sweeping the floor. “He’s  _ so cute!” _ Dipper shakes his head. Mabel couldn’t go two minutes, much less the whole summer without fawning over a guy.

Soos turns and chuckles. “Oh, that’s Miguel, he’s like my 3rd cousin twice removed or something? It’s complicated. Anyways, he’s helping out around the shack over the summer.” 

Soos waves him over, and Mabel goes about patting down flyaways. (To no avail because they just stick back up.) Dipper just stuffs his hands into his pockets.

“Miguel,” Soos says once the boy has made it over. “These are my friends that I was telling you about earlier.”

“ _ Hola,” _ The boy says with a smile. Dipper doesn’t know why, but he notices that he’s got a dimple on his right cheek. He sticks out a hand to Dipper and says, “ _ Soy _ Miguel. You must be Dipper.”

Dipper gives a slight smile and extends his hand to grab Miguel’s. “That’s me.” 

Despite Miguel’s slender appearance, his grip is surprisingly firm. And his palm is slightly sweaty. Just like Dipper’s.

“It’s nice to meet you!” Miguel says rather pleasantly. Dipper doesn’t think that there’s anything in the world to be that pleasant about. 

“Same here,” Dipper replies and Miguel releases his hand to go to shake Mabel’s. All the while Dipper’s trying to figure out what in the heck he’s gonna do without Mabel this summer. 

Normally, he could hang around Great Uncle Ford or Wendy if Mabel was too busy, but now, it doesn’t even look like Dipper will be able to do that. (Obviously, he could still hang out with Wendy, but Dipper knows that it would be way too awkward with her girlfriend around.) 

Looks like this was going to be a very boring summer, indeed.

Dipper shakes his head to clear the thoughts and tunes back into the exchange between Mabel and Miguel.

“And you must be Mabel,” Miguel says, extending his hand with a toothy smile. Dipper notices that there’s a gap in between two teeth on the right side of his mouth. 

“Right you are, my fine sir!” Mabel grabs Miguel’s hand a bit aggressively and shakes. “I’m currently off the market, but don’t worry, I can give you the hookup with someone just as great as me!” Mabel winks and waggles her thick eyebrows rather suggestively.

_ God. _

Dipper can’t even imagine what’s going on in Miguel’s head. Because he knows from experience that Mabel and her first impressions tended to scar people for life. But hopefully, it’s nothing too bad since Mabel  _ was _ his sister. 

Dipper gets his answer a beat later when Miguel looks over at him and rolls his eyes, as if to say ‘Girls, amirite?’ 

Dipper smirks. His respect for this dude has increased tenfold. 

… 

Mabel hitches a ride with Wendy and Aisha once Wendy’s shift ends so that they can drop her off at Grenda’s house. 

But not before Mabel let Dipper in on some information that he most definitely didn’t need to hear.

“Didja see the little mole above his lip?” Mabel asked rather loudly as she bounced up and down like a kid. Apparently, she was talking about Miguel. “ _ A-fricking-dorable!” _

Dipper could only blink. Over the years, he had grown immune to Mabel’s  _ mabelness _ . “I’m ending this conversation,” Was all he said before he turned on his heel and exited the room.

But all jokes aside, Dipper’s  _ definitely _ glad to be alone. And for a very good reason. Getting a break from Mabel’s one, but the more pressing reason has got to be that he needs some time to think. And brood. Y’know, normal teenage stuff.

And what better way to do all of those things than by aimlessly wandering the halls of the Mystery Shack? 

Dipper’s been roaming about for a good while now, thinking and brooding up a storm when hears it. Singing and the sweet strums of a guitar. 

It’s odd, but definitely not one of the oddest things that Dipper’s heard around the shack. (Wax Larry King’s disembodied head giving advice would have to top that list.)

The sound is faint, but Dipper is able to trace it to the break room, aka Ford’s old room. Dipper twists the knob and pushes the door open to see Miguel. 

He’s sitting on a stool in the corner, playing the guitar and singing along with it. When he notices Dipper, he stops and smiles. “ _ Hola,  _ Dipper!”

Dipper silently ponders on reasons for why this dude is always so chipper before he replies with, “Hi.” He crosses the room and takes a seat in the chair next to Miguel. Because it’s not like he has anything better to do. 

“You sound good,” Dipper says, and he really does. He must’ve learned at really young to be able to play and sing that well. 

Miguel grins real big—Dipper notices that dimple on his cheek again—and lowers his guitar. “ _ Gracias! _ It’s one of my favorite songs to perform.”

“What’s the song?” It wasn’t anything that Dipper had ever heard before. (Probably because he’s white!) But he can tell that it sounds like Latin.

“It’s called  _ Poco Loco,” _ Miguel says. “My great-great-grandpa wrote it!  _ Y tú? _ Do you play?”

Dipper shakes his head feverishly. “Nah. I’m not really good with my hands, I’m better with my lips.” He doesn’t realize how bad that sounds until it comes out. “I-I mean!”

But it’s too late, Miguel’s already laughing. But it isn’t at all in a malicious way like he’d thought it would be. From the way Miguel is smiling, it seems entirely harmless.

“ _ Ay _ , I know what you mean,  _ amigo. _ Your hands aren’t dexterous enough for guitar, so you play an instrument that uses your mouth.”

Dipper flushes and cracks a smile. He nods. “Y-Yeah.”

“ _ Bueno, bueno,” _ Miguel says after calming a bit. “So, what do you play?”

“Sousaphone,” Dipper replies rather slowly. He doesn’t like talking about it since people had the tendency to make fun of him for playing it. Turns out Miguel isn’t one of those people.

“That’s super cool,” He says earnestly. “Not many people can play that y’know?”

Dipper nods. “Yeah…” 

Miguel lifts his guitar over his head and sets it to the side. Then he says, “I’m just glad that I’m not the only kid around. When I first got here, I thought it would be so boring…” He pauses to look at Dipper. “Then I met you and your sister!” 

Miguel smiles after saying this. It’s so radiant and bright that Dipper fears he’ll need sunglasses to shield his eyes. 

“Hey man, we’re glad that you’re here, too,” Dipper replies, giving Miguel a little nudge with his elbow. He’s not so sure about Mabel, but Dipper knows that he’s happy for Miguel’s presence. 

Maybe things wouldn't be so lonely after all. 

There’s a lull in the conversation after that. But Miguel is nice and really easy to talk to, which is what spurs Dipper to continue chatting with him.

“I’ve always wanted to learn how to play,” Dipper says pointing a finger in the direction of Miguel’s guitar. “When I was younger, I thought that if I knew how to play maybe I’d have a better chance with girls.”

Miguel laughs. “I’m not so sure about that,  _ amigo!” _ He laughs again and for some reason, Dipper finds himself laughing too. It was a pretty dumb idea. Just look at how it worked out for Robbie!

Once they’ve stopped laughing, Miguel makes eye contact with Dipper. His eyes are a rich chocolatey-brown. “I could teach you sometime. If you want.”

Dipper perks up at that. “Really?” His voice starts to get all squeaky at the end of the word, so he pauses to clear his throat. Puberty was a cow, really. (An eight-legged one!) “You wouldn’t mind?” 

“Nah,” Miguel says, giving Dipper’s shoulder a gentle shove. “Anything to help a friend!”

◎ ◎ ◎

The next morning, Abuelita makes  _ conchas con chocolate _ for breakfast. She sets a plate piled high with them in front of Dipper, Mabel, and Soos. She also sets a plate in front of the empty seat at the end of the table. “Enjoy, my babies,” She says and teeters out of the kitchen.

Dipper bites into the sweet pastry and looks around confusedly. “Where’s Miguel?”

“Oh,” Soos says as he dips a  _ concha _ into some chocolate sauce. “Lil’ dawg’s in the parlor trying to call home.” 

_ Oh _ . Dipper goes back to eating his breakfast.

Mabel, who’s sitting to Dipper’s right, cocks her head to the side analytically. “Why do you look so upset?” She asks. “What, do ya miss him or something?”

What! That’s crazy, Dipper thinks. “Uhm,” He mumbles, brain scrambling for something to say. “Let’s have a race to see who can drink their chocolate the quickest!”

Mabel’s squinty eyes go big and she grabs her cup of chocolate. She shouts, “Three, two, one, go!” And the competition starts. 

After downing the cup in an astonishing-yet-worrying ten seconds, Mabel wins the match.

… 

After breakfast, Mabel goes back to the attic to get ready for the day, while Soos goes to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Dipper hops up from his seat, and when Abuelita isn’t looking, he picks up Miguel’s now cold plate of  _ conchas _ and starts off in the direction of the parlor.

Once he makes it there, Dipper pauses outside the door and hovers a bit awkwardly. Should he go in? Or does Miguel want privacy to talk with his family? 

Dipper doesn’t want to intrude or make him feel rushed in the least, so he settles for knocking on the door and waiting for an answer. It’s a few seconds later when the door swings open to reveal Miguel.

He’s still clad in his pajamas—just like Dipper—and has got some serious bed head—again, just like Dipper—but still looks happy to see him nonetheless. Miguel’s still got the landline up to his ear, but opens the door a little wider for Dipper to come in. Apparently, he didn’t mind the company.

“ _ Ay, yo sé, yo sé, Mamá,” _ Miguel says into the phone. He sounds very distressed. Dipper knows the feeling all too well. “ _ Te amo también.” _ Miguel looks at Dipper and crosses his eyes when he says this. Dipper snorts.

“ _ Adiós, Mamá!” _ Miguel chirps and then moves to put the phone back on the hook. Dipper takes this as the time to set Miguel’s food on the table nearest to him. 

“I brought you your breakfast,” Dipper tells him when he turns around. “Sorry that it’s cold.”

“Oh, that’s okay,” Miguel says, smiling at him through sleepy eyes. “I don’t mind. Thanks for bringing it!”

Dipper smiles and gives a slight nod. He goes to sit on the arm of the couch pushed against the wall while Miguel starts in on his breakfast with unbridled vigor.

“Man, am I glad that’s over,” Miguel says through a mouthful of  _ conchas. _ “My family is so long-winded that it’s insane! There’s no telling how much that call alone’s gonna cost.”

_ Cost? _

Dipper isn’t sure what Miguel’s talking about, and he doesn’t even get the chance to ask him what he means by it because he starts back talking. 

“I’m glad you came when you did, ‘cause I was gettin’ kind of antsy, y’know? I’m not really used to having so much privacy. I have a big family and that’s one thing that we’re always short of.”

Dipper can’t imagine what his life would be like with another sibling—especially if they were anything like the one he already has.  _ Talk about tiring _ . 

But it’s still cool to hear about Miguel’s family, especially when it sounds so different from Dipper’s. 

“Sounds rough,” He replies. “And I thought I had it hard with just Mabel.” That gets a laugh out of Miguel. Dipper smiles. “So, are you from California? I’m from there, too.”

“Mm,” Miguel says. “Nope!”

Dipper furrows his eyebrows. “Texas?”

Miguel laughs again. “Nah,  _ güey, _ I’m from  _ México!” _

Oh. That was definitely not what Dipper was expecting. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! It’s just. Odd that Miguel would come to Gravity Falls from somewhere so far away. 

“That’s pretty far,” Dipper says. Then he realizes that that must’ve been what Miguel meant about the cost, too. 

Miguel shrugs. “Yeah, I guess so. But things here aren’t so different than they are home.” 

Dipper gets that. He feels kinda bad for thinking otherwise. 

“The folks here are nice and the food’s not half bad!” Miguel crams the last of the  _ conchas _ into his mouth at that. Dipper rolls his eyes.

“Speaking of food,” Dipper says. “Have you been to Greasy’s yet?”

Miguel quirks an eyebrow and shakes his head. “Nope. What’s that?”

Dipper hops up from his spot on the couch, suddenly energized. “Then I know what we’re doing today.” 

◎ ◎ ◎

Dipper’s first guitar lesson is the next day, during lunchtime. Dipper finds Miguel in the breakroom again. This time he’s sitting on the sofa with his guitar and dingy notebook sitting in the spot to his right.

It’s Dipper who speaks first today. “Hey, Miguel.” The dark-haired boy looks up from his guitar and smiles.

“Hey, Dipper! You ready for your first lesson?” 

Dipper nods. He’s as ready as he’ll ever be.

“Come,  _ siéntate!” _ Miguel moves the notebook and pats the spot next to him. Dipper moves to sit down and glances at Miguel’s halfway-open notebook. The pages are filled with words. They’re song lyrics.

“Can I?” Dipper asks, gesturing to the notebook. Miguel nods, hands it to him, and goes back to playing.

The brown cover of the book is worn from use. Dipper flips it open and begins to read. Some of the songs are in English, but the vast majority are in Spanish or  _ Spanglish, _ if you will. 

For the most part, Dipper doesn’t understand what he’s reading, but he can place a few of the words in some of the songs. It ultimately has to do with the fact that he’s a white kid from the suburbs who can’t speak a lick of Spanish.

Some of the songs are funny. There’s one about a hairless dog who can’t stop scratching himself—Mabel would have a ball with that one. While some are intense and thought-provoking.

“They’re pretty bad, huh?” Miguel asks. He looks pretty amused as he watches his fingers pick at the strings of his guitar.

“Nah,” Dipper replies. “They’re really good.” He flips to another one. This one’s called  _ Boca Foca. _ Whatever that means.

Miguel scoffs. “ _ Ay, Muchacho, _ you’re being too nice to me. They aren’t that good!”

Dipper shrugs. “They are. They’re a lot better than what I could do.” Songwriting was hard. Dipper knew from experience.

Miguel shakes his head and holds his hand out for the notebook. Dipper gives it to him and he sets it to the side. Dipper expects him to start playing again, but he shifts position and lifts the guitar over his head. 

“Here,” Miguel says as he loops the strap around Dipper’s neck.

Geez, were they starting that fast? Didn’t he need to go over theory or something first?

“Okay,” Miguel says, adjusting the guitar in Dipper’s lap. “Let’s start!”

_ Oh, boy. _

Miguel starts by moving Dipper’s hands on the fingerboard. Telling him where and how to place his fingers and saying things like, ‘That string. Good! Now the index finger on that one. Not so flat, bend your finger more. Use the tips, not the pads.’ 

“That feels awkward,” Dipper mumbles.

“Then you’re doin’ it right.” Dipper feels like he can’t stretch his hand far enough to reach the notes. 

“Now strum!” Miguel says. Dipper does so and a sound comes out. It actually sounds like a chord.

“ _ Bueno! _ Move this finger here.” Miguel lifts Dipper’s finger off of one string and moves it to another. “Now strum again!” It’s another chord. It sounds like it would go well with the one that he’s played before.

“Okay,” Miguel says. “Now play them both.” Dipper moves his finger back to the first string, plays the chord, moves it again, and plays the next one. Then Miguel shows him how to play another, and Dipper puts all three together, playing them a couple of times. 

“See?” Miguel says with a toothy grin. “It’s not so hard, huh?” He waggles his arched eyebrows. “Especially when you’ve got an  _ incredible _ teacher like me!”

Dipper rolls his eyes and scoffs. “Shut up.” Miguel laughs.

Dipper plays the three chords again, this time with a little more attitude and shoulder. “I’m not half bad,” He says with a slight smile.

“Okay, this next one is trickier.” Miguel pulls his legs up on the sofa so that he’s on his knees right behind Dipper. Miguel’s thighs brush against Dipper’s hips. He’s close.  _ Super close. _ “Scoot back a bit,” Miguel says, and Dipper does.

_ Is this real? God, It can’t be. _

Miguel moves in even closer, pressing his bony chest against Dipper’s equally bony back. He reaches around Dipper and looks over his shoulder to reposition his hands. 

“There, that’s easier.” Miguel even sounds like a teacher. (And Dipper is his student, and this is totally normal, just part of the job.) Miguel’s voice is low, but he’s so close to Dipper’s ear that he can hear him breathing. “Pinky here. Okay, try that,” He whispers. Dipper strums, and when he does, it sounds different. Sadder. It must’ve been a minor chord.

“Now play the other three and add this one.”

Dipper’s not sure if he can do it, especially when he feels Miguel’s chest rise and fall against his back, but he goes for it. The last note feels weird, and it takes Dipper a few times to get it right, but eventually he gets all four of them to work, and it sounds good. A lot like music. 

“ _ Qué bueno!” _ Miguel says. “How’s it feel?”

His breath is warm on Dipper’s neck. “P-pretty good,” He squeaks.

“Wanna play it one more time?” Miguel whispers near his ear. Dipper’s fingers are pressed down on the strings so hard that he can’t move them. He shakes his head.

Miguel makes a noise—a sigh, maybe?—and scoots out from behind Dipper. He sits back on the side of him, this time leaving a little more space in between them.

“Thanks.” Dipper hands Miguel his guitar and he takes it.

“That wasn’t so bad was it?” Miguel asks with a small smile. He moves to put the guitar into its case.

“No,” Dipper says. “It wasn’t.” 

“You’re already a step ahead since you know some pitches and how to read music—” Miguel keeps talking, but Dipper tunes out pretty quickly. 

He’s too busy thinking about how close Miguel was to him—seriously, it’s like the guy has no idea of personal space—but, for some reason, Dipper didn’t mind him being close. And Normally, Mabel’s the only one that Dipper lets into his bubble. (That’s only because she has no sense of boundary, either.)

Dipper’s head is all fuzzy, his insides are in a tizzy, and his palms are getting sweaty from just thinking about it. He’s not sure what it all means, but he is most certainly intrigued.

◎ ◎ ◎

“What’re you playin’?”

Dipper looks up from his spot on the floor to see Miguel standing over him.

“ _ Dungeons, Dungeons, and more Dungeons,” _ Dipper replies. He supposes that it is a bit sad that he’s playing a multiplayer game by himself, but with Great Uncle Ford away, there’s no other option. “You wanna play?” 

Dipper already knows that Miguel’s gonna say no, but he still extends the invitation just to be polite. 

What he doesn’t expect is for Miguel to say, “Sure,” and plop down on the floor next to him. Then he and crosses his long legs and asks, “How do you play?”

_ What? _

Dipper’s mouth falls open in utter shock. Someone—who wasn’t even family!—willingly wanted to play the ‘nerd board game’ with him? Dipper can’t believe his ears!

“ _ Ay, ay, ay, güey,” _ Miguel exclaims, leaning back on his hands. “You gonna explain the rules or just stare at me?”

Dipper flushes and closes his mouth. God, was he such an idiot at times. 

He clears his throat and begins to robotically spew off the rules to the game. And when he finally finishes, Miguel actually understands how to play! (Unlike a certain sister who shall not be named.)

The game starts and goes on for a little over an hour. It tragically ends when Miguel rolls a thirty-four, casts  _ La Chancla, _ and smacks Dipper’s character to death. It’s brutal, but nevertheless, one of the most fun games of D&D&MoreD that Dipper’s ever played. 

… 

Later that evening, Mabel heads off to a sleepover that Candy and Grenda had planned for her, meaning that Dipper gets left on his own for the second time that week. 

At first, Dipper’s sort of impassive about it. At least he wouldn’t get booted out of the room like he always did whenever Mabel and her friends had sleepovers. Not to mention that he’d be able to stay up and read until his eyes couldn’t take it anymore.

It seems like a pretty good deal, until about midnight when Dipper gets bored of reading and tries to go to sleep. He stares up at the ceiling for what feels like forever before he gets up to go get a glass of water. He can never sleep when he’s this anxious. Especially if he doesn’t know if Mabel’s okay.

Dipper creeps out the door and down the steps, careful to step over the creaky floorboards when he passes Soos’ room, and then he’s downstairs. He turns right to cut through the living room and is shocked to see light emanating from the room. It’s the TV.

Dipper pokes his head around the corner to see who could be up at this hour besides him. Unsurprisingly, it’s Miguel. He’s sitting in the chair in front of the TV watching what looks to be a  _ telenovela _ . (Dipper had learned the term after watching one with Abuelita.)

On the TV screen, there’s a guy and girl grasping one another rather intimately. And just when you can’t take the cheesiness any more, they kiss. It’s completely over the top and gaudy. Makes Dipper want to laugh, and he half expects Miguel to do the same thing, but for some reason, Miguel’s looking at the TV with a forlorn expression.

Dipper wonders why. Then he wonders why he’s watching Miguel like a creep instead of letting him know that he was here. It’s a valid point, so Dipper decides to make his entrance.

“Hey,” He says as he steps out from his hiding spot. Miguel’s head whips around in his direction. He seems surprised. Dipper would be too if he’d been startled by some weirdo who had been watching him for God knows how long. “What’re you still doing up?”

“ _ Hola,” _ Miguel replies. Then he smiles that kind, encouraging, and contagious smile that Dipper had grown to know in Miguel’s short time here. “Nothin’ much. I couldn’t sleep so I came to watch TV instead.”

Then he scoots over in the chair to make a tiny bit more room. “Wanna watch with me?”

“Sure,” Dipper says with a nod. Maybe for a little bit. It wasn’t like he was going to bed anytime soon anyway.

After he squeezes himself into the teeny spot beside Miguel, Dipper works up the nerve to subtly ask him what he’d been wondering about moments before. 

“So… You looked like you were thinking pretty hard about something before I walked in.” It’s just the right amount of nosiness masked by subtlety. Mentally, Dipper gives himself a pat on the back.

“It’s nothin’,” Miguel says with a dismissive shake of his head. “I was just thinking about my family.”

Dipper’s eyes bulge. “While watching a kiss scene?”

“Ew, gross!” Miguel exclaims. “Not like that, _muchacho!_ And just how long were you watching me?”

Dipper flounders for words after that. He’d been caught red-handed! “Uhm! N-not long,” Dipper replies in a strained voice.

Miguel shakes his head at Dipper’s obvious lie, but there’s a smile on his lips nonetheless. Dipper smiles too and settles back into the cushions of the chair. A few seconds pass before either one of them speaks again. 

“Do you… miss them?” Dipper asks slowly. “Your family?”

Miguel’s eyes are focused on the TV, but he answers without missing a beat. “More than anything.” 

Dipper bites his lip. It sounds like Miguel was homesick. Dipper knew the feeling all too well, but not in the conventional way. You see, Dipper only really felt at home whenever he was in Gravity Falls. So when summer ended and it was time to go back to Piedmont, he would feel the same emotions that Miguel felt now.

Miguel’s so nice and kind and Dipper doesn’t want to see him all frowned up and sad. It just doesn’t seem natural. So, Dipper places his hand on top of Miguel’s and speaks from the heart. 

“I know what you mean. And I’m sorry that they aren’t here with you, but I know that they miss you just as much as you miss them.”

Miguel turns and looks at him. His mouth falls open into a little ‘o’ and his eyes look all glossy like he’s about to cry. Dipper starts to panic. He’s said too much. He’s said the wrong thing, like he always does. Mabel was so, so wrong about him learning to let his guard down. 

_ Stupid blurting! _

Just when Dipper feels like he’s about to melt into mush from embarrassment, Miguel breaks the silence. “Y’know, for someone that watches people when they’re not looking, you’re an okay guy, Dipper.” He wipes his eyes and smiles softly. Then he opens his hand and takes Dipper’s into his grasp. 

It’s then that Dipper realizes that they’re sitting so close together that Dipper’s short-clad thigh is flush against Miguel’s. And he doesn’t mind it. 

“Same to you,” Dipper mumbles. His palm feels sweaty pressed against Miguel’s. But something about it is so… right. “Well, except for the ‘watching people when they’re not looking’ part. Sorry about that.”

Dipper looks up. Miguel’s watching him with an expression similar to his own. Slightly nervous, but hopeful. Miguel grins, tooth gap and all. For some reason, seeing him smile makes Dipper’s heart beat faster. It’s odd. Dipper forces himself to look away. “ _ Está bien,” _ Miguel replies and then he squeezes Dipper’s hand. Oddly enough, that steadies him, and so he squeezes Miguel’s hand back. 

“I can’t sleep when Mabel’s not here,” He says, eyes drawn to the _ telenovela.  _ The girl’s crying now as the guy leaves, seemingly, forever. It is oddly therapeutic to watch, Dipper finds. Miguel was onto something.

“I bet,” Miguel hums. “You guys are so close, it makes my family look like total strangers.”

Dipper smiles at that. Despite how overbearing Mabel could be, now that they were separate, he felt empty.

“Why don’t you call her?” Miguel asks.

“She’s with her girlfriends. I don’t wanna bother her, y’know?” It’s only once it’s out that Dipper realizes what he said. Oh, well. Not like Mabel was trying to hide her partners, anyway.

“You’re scared of losing her, but you don’t wanna hold her back.”

Dipper looks at Miguel, gape-mouthed. “That’s… exactly it.”

“My family had to learn that too. I get it.”

Dipper feels something stirring deep inside his chest. Maybe it’s because he’s never known someone like Miguel. Someone who understands him just as well as Mabel does. Or maybe it’s just heartburn from dinner.  _ Who knows? _

But what Dipper does know is that he wants to know Miguel. He’s such a cool, kind, and talented guy that Dipper can’t help but  _ want _ to be in his presence. It’s odd. Weird.  _ A good weird. _

Suddenly Dipper is filled with a burst of confidence and he blurts, “You should tell me about your family sometime.” 

Miguel smiles a closed-mouth smile. “Maybe I will.” He looks back to the TV. Dipper does the same.

They spend the rest of the night watching telenovelas and making snide comments about the awful acting. 

Neither one of them makes a move to let go of the other’s hand.

**Author's Note:**

> i really like comments, but kudos are okay, too. :) 
> 
> i'm not sure when this will be updated, so don't be looking for it anytime soon. :p


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